Customer Reviews

The Frank Reilly School of Art

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1 star:		(3)

 

 

Doug Higgins has published his notes taken from his days as one of Frank Reilly's students. He has not made any effort to present this information in a clear and concise manner. In fact some passages (a lot of passages!!) are completely baffling and make no sense what so ever! Honestly, it beggars belief!!

I can only assume that he (looking back over these notes) does not understand them either otherwise I'm sure he would have attempted to explain the various concepts he try's to put forward.

Advanced students may be able to take something from these notes (possibly) but I'm certain that the majority of artists out there will be angry and disappointed to find that they parted with good money for this excuse of a book.

This is practically useless and contains nothing that isn't covered more comprehensively and coherently in many other texts. It seems to consist of old class notes resurrected after many years. Much of it is incomprehensible shorthand. A huge disappointment since Reilly was a very well respected teacher and I was really looking forward to reading it.

In this little manual Higgens has given us a real treasure. But you have to know what you're looking at to really appreciate it. If you are a beginner this is not a "how to" manual for how to become a great illustrator. This is as described "an honest account of the substance of his teaching" referring to Frank Reilly as he taught "picture making" at the Art Student's League. Inside this slim volume you will find the nuggets of knowledge that are "truths" in the art of realistic portrait and figure drawing and painting. What is in here is all you need if you have the fortitude to digest it. It is presented as fragments, like class notes, so there is no flowery text or background, no personal anecdotes, no opinion. This is the School of Frank J. Reilly, right here.

If you are serious about drawing and painting you must grasp everything in this book.

His website here: [...] already has most of the useful information from this book. It's sort of like watching the trailer to a movie that has a lot of good parts, but you know it's a trailer, so you get real excited. But when you watch the movie, you realize all the good parts were already in the trailer. Very disappointing.

Higgins has put together a great little book.
It almost seems as if you are in the "Frank Reilly" classrooom.
Presented clearly and challenges the "Artist" in you to come out.
teaching